Intended for Puppies 8 weeks to 6 months of age

Puppy Primer - Board and Train

A structured live-in learning program where we teach daily life skills before habits form.

Length & Investment
Two weeks (14 days) — $2,380

Your puppy isn’t trying to misbehave — they just don’t understand how to exist in a human world yet.

Right now that probably looks like:

biting hands, grabbing clothes, zooming at night, struggling to settle, following you everywhere, accidents indoors, or getting overwhelmed by new things.

For puppies learning how to live inside a home.

We don’t rush behaviors — we help them understand daily life so they can relax and make better choices naturally.

How Do You Know When It’s Time for Structure?

Is Your Dog Experimenting — or Rehearsing?

  • Experimenting

    (you can usually give this time)

    • happens occasionally
    • improves week to week
    • dog recovers quickly after excitement
    • behavior appears in specific moments, not daily life
    • walks and home life still mostly manageable


    Your dog is testing reactions — not relying on them yet.

  • Rehearsing

    (this is when families usually start this program)

    • happening daily
    • spreading into new situations
    • recovery takes longer
    • walks becoming frustrating or avoided
    • settling at home becoming difficult


    Your dog isn't trying behaviors anymore - they're becoming habits.

What Life Usually Looks Like After

Most puppies leaving this program:

  • settle on their own after activity
  • interact with people without constant biting or climbing
  • can rest while you work, eat, or move around the house
  • handle new environments without shutting down or exploding
  • understand household flow (morning, evening, downtime)
  • are easier to guide rather than constantly managed

We’re not creating a perfectly trained dog in two weeks.

We’re creating a puppy who understands how to live with humans.

What Your Puppy is Learning

Regulation

How to come down from excitement and exist calmly indoors — the foundation of everything else.

Social Skills

How to interact with people and dogs without panic, avoidance, or over-arousal.

Comfort in Everyday Situations

Exposure to everyday life so new things don’t feel like emergencies.

Being handled by humans (grooming, vet care, leash guidance)

Comfort with touching, grooming, vet handling, leash pressure, and guidance from humans.

Independence

Learning they don’t need to follow you constantly or react to every movement in the home.

How we do it

Your puppy lives a structured daily routine with us that mirrors real life — built around daily living instead of scheduled training sessions

We guide them through:

  • calm indoor time
  • appropriate play
  • rest periods
  • outings
  • handling
  • human interaction

We use rewards and guidance, but more importantly we teach them how to exist, not just what to perform.

The goal is clarity, not control.

You’ll receive regular updates so you can see what they’re understanding and how to continue it at home.

Who This Program Is For

This is ideal if you want to start off correctly instead of fixing habits later.

It’s especially helpful for:

  • first-time puppy owners
  • busy households
  • high-energy or sensitive breeds
  • puppies already getting overwhelmed
  • families who want to prevent problems instead of fixing them later

When your dog goes home, nothing feels unfamiliar.

We walk you through routines in real time — movement in the home, rest, play, handling, and disengagement.

Training videos you can follow
You’ll see your own dog practicing the skills so you know what they look like in real life.

Written report card
Clear notes explaining what your puppy understands, what to expect next, and how to continue progress.

Ongoing guidance
You can reference the material and reach out if something doesn’t feel clear once you’re home.

Not sure if this is the right stage to start training?

Describe what’s been happening at home and on walks. We’ll tell you honestly whether to start now — or wait.

What to include

• your dog’s age

• where you notice it most (home, walks, guests, everywhere)

• what happens when it’s hard

• whether it’s improving, staying the same, or getting worse

Tell us what’s been happening

Do Better: Nurturing Minds, Building Bonds

  • LIFE Approach

    The LIFE model is a modern approach to ethical animal training that prioritizes both the welfare and the effectiveness of training methods. Developed as an enhancement to the previous LIMA model, LIFE focuses on ensuring that our strategies are minimally invasive yet highly effective.

  • Empowering Approach

    Our training philosophy is centered around empowerment for both you and your pet. We aim to equip you with the knowledge and skills to build a strong, positive bond and create a harmonious life together.

  • Punishment-Free Philosophy

    We unequivocally reject the use of punishment in our training methods. Instead, we focus on positive, effective, and humane strategies that foster a trusting and positive relationship between you and your animal.

  • Science-Based Techniques

    Do Better trainers use only the latest, most effective peer reviewed training techniques.